A city is such a condensed ecosystem. Here I am adapting to a pace and temperament that is SO different from suburban life in NY (let alone the Peruvian rainforest). Because things are more expensive I can’t just simply work a little and then “take it easy.” The city keeps you on your toes.
Also, conversations. Let’s converse about those, starting with a story about one of my first conversations in D.C.
I was in the elevator in my apartment building (back in late May) and a lady gets onboard with her medium size, black and white patched dog. He was a sweety and so was she! The conversation pace was soo fast though! We quickly jump through topics: what I do (the typical D.C. question I’ve learned), the weather, how I’m new in the city, and general elevator talk. So we’re freed from our little moving cell on the first floor and I’m in the middle of a sentence and suddenly this lady reaches her hand out and says: “I’m married by the way.”
:|
I pause for just an instant. I take her hand and say, “Oh and I have a fiancé!” I said this super normal (which in this situation might have been abnormal), and in a kindly manner but her face drops...and I’m like...what have I done?
She says, “Oh, no I’m Mary. My name is MARY.” She waits for an instant to see how I react and I start laughing like crazy, she’s relieved and is like “I get that sometimes” (totally trying to console me) and she also adds “I do have a partner though.” I say that it feels like we’re in a sitcom and that it was something about her pacing that threw me off. Also I’m thinking in my mind that in this climate of the #metoomovement and all sorts of horrendous reports about sexual abuse coming out of doctor’s offices, churches, and the work place that I would have totally respected her “I’m married” boundary drawing.
Yeeeeahhh, that story pretty much summarizes my first month in Washington D.C., that, and the time I called the lady at Subway “Wakanda” instead of Tawanda. But I’ve gotten better! I know pretty much every cashier by first name at the Giant Supermarket (shout out: Mr. Robert, Mr. Terence, Destiny, Brittany, Brittany (#2), Mark, Marcus, and...damn some are on the tip of my toungue...). And I make it a point to people’s names wherever I go, completely disproving the cliche that customer service in D.C. is terrible. You get what you give kids.
Also I’m learning to talk faster again, but also bring people into a chill pace if I’m not ready to give up my vibe.
Cheers to another attempt at getting our little blog going again. I will write a bit more about the PREMED journey I’m on, classes for the Fall just began this past Monday on the 27th.
-Zain signing out
ps- I ran into “Married” again once this August, we laughed again and I told her she’s my #1 story about my fresh start in DC.
Also, conversations. Let’s converse about those, starting with a story about one of my first conversations in D.C.
I was in the elevator in my apartment building (back in late May) and a lady gets onboard with her medium size, black and white patched dog. He was a sweety and so was she! The conversation pace was soo fast though! We quickly jump through topics: what I do (the typical D.C. question I’ve learned), the weather, how I’m new in the city, and general elevator talk. So we’re freed from our little moving cell on the first floor and I’m in the middle of a sentence and suddenly this lady reaches her hand out and says: “I’m married by the way.”
:|
I pause for just an instant. I take her hand and say, “Oh and I have a fiancé!” I said this super normal (which in this situation might have been abnormal), and in a kindly manner but her face drops...and I’m like...what have I done?
She says, “Oh, no I’m Mary. My name is MARY.” She waits for an instant to see how I react and I start laughing like crazy, she’s relieved and is like “I get that sometimes” (totally trying to console me) and she also adds “I do have a partner though.” I say that it feels like we’re in a sitcom and that it was something about her pacing that threw me off. Also I’m thinking in my mind that in this climate of the #metoomovement and all sorts of horrendous reports about sexual abuse coming out of doctor’s offices, churches, and the work place that I would have totally respected her “I’m married” boundary drawing.
Yeeeeahhh, that story pretty much summarizes my first month in Washington D.C., that, and the time I called the lady at Subway “Wakanda” instead of Tawanda. But I’ve gotten better! I know pretty much every cashier by first name at the Giant Supermarket (shout out: Mr. Robert, Mr. Terence, Destiny, Brittany, Brittany (#2), Mark, Marcus, and...damn some are on the tip of my toungue...). And I make it a point to people’s names wherever I go, completely disproving the cliche that customer service in D.C. is terrible. You get what you give kids.
Also I’m learning to talk faster again, but also bring people into a chill pace if I’m not ready to give up my vibe.
Cheers to another attempt at getting our little blog going again. I will write a bit more about the PREMED journey I’m on, classes for the Fall just began this past Monday on the 27th.
-Zain signing out
ps- I ran into “Married” again once this August, we laughed again and I told her she’s my #1 story about my fresh start in DC.
